A couple of weeks ago, Drink slingers LLC of Austin, Texas sent two of our highly trained and professional event bartenders to serve guests at a wedding. We had been working with the bride and groom for months on the bar menu. They only wanted choice wines and three labels of local Austin beer.

Sounded great to us!

During the evening, guests started asking the bartenders for cups of ice. Becoming curious, the bartender determined that several of the guests had smuggled in bottles and flasks of vodka and Royal Crown. One guest, who never frequented the bar, was becoming quite intoxicated.

Sounds like a few of the guests had a great time – seeing old college friends and reliving the frat days! However, there was a major problem for the bride and groom, the venue management and the bartenders -

Texas has a “host liability law,” which means if you host an event and one of your guests becomes intoxicated and causes damage or injury on their way home, the host (i.e. – the bride and groom) may be held legally liable for the damage.

Many Austin and Texas Hill Country wedding venues require that a couple hire only Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) certified bartenders. These professional bartenders are trained how to prevent guests from drinking too much and how to politely cut someone off. They take their jobs, and careers, seriously. Drink Slingers hires ONLY TABC certified bartenders.

When guests bring their private alcohol to a wedding they place the bride and groom into a dangerous position. TABC-certified event bartenders cannot monitor their guests’ alcohol consumption, the venue management will confiscate the alcohol and guests could become very upset.

Therefore, our TABC-certified Austin event bartenders make the following suggestions:

Brides and grooms: Please let you guests know that alcohol can only be served from the bar. No personal stock is allowed unless it is served by us. If your cowboy friend from West Texas – you know the one who always brings a flask to football games, birthday parties and picnics – is invited, best to give him a strict warning before he ruins your day.

Guests: This is NOT your event. The bride and groom have been planning this day for months. Your behavior could lead to liability. Do you really want to turn a dream night into a nightmare for everyone?

When looking for event bartenders for your Austin or Texas Hill Country wedding, consider using a professional, TABC certified bartender from Drink Slingers LLC of Austin.